This application relates to devices for drying wet foods, such as salad ingredients. The application describes an improvement of the food drying device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,309.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,309 discloses a centrifugal food drying device of the type generally known as salad spinners. It has an outer housing including a bowl and an associated cover and a perforated container in the nature of a basket disposable in the bowl coaxially therewith and having a removable lid. The bowl cover and the basket lid are coupled together by a manually operable drive mechanism which rotates the basket lid relative to the bowl cover. When the cover and lid are respectively in place on the bowl and basket, the parts are coupled so that the basket and lid rotate together relative to the bowl and cover, so that centrifugal force causes the moisture on the contents of the basket to be ejected through the perforations in the basket into the bowl.
That salad spinner works well for drying foods such as salad ingredients, leafy vegetables and the like. However, the basket has a relatively large volume, and the lattice-work structure of the basket defines relatively large openings between the lattice webs. This can be inconvenient for drying small quantities of foods and for drying certain types of foods, such as certain berries, which may be very small or very fragile. Small berries may be thrown out through the openings in the basket, could become wedged in the openings, or could become bruised or crushed from moving over the basket lattice webs, as on a washboard or from being pressed against the basket, by centrifugal force. Furthermore, in general, small quantities of foods may undergo considerable movement relative to the basket which could be damaging to the food.
This application describes an apparatus which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
A general aspect is the provision of an auxiliary container which is uniquely constructed for cooperation with a rotatable food drying device, such as a salad spinner.
Another aspect is the provision of a rotatable food drying device and an auxiliary container therefor which are cooperable in combination for drying small quantities of foods and/or fragile foods and foods comprised of relatively small units.
Another aspect is the provision of an auxiliary container of the type set forth which is usable with pre-existing rotatable food drying devices.
Certain ones of these aspects may be attained by providing a container comprising: a wall structure defining a closed food-containing cavity and having apertures formed therein and communicating with the cavity; the wall structure having a section movable between open and closed conditions to define a closeable access port into the cavity; the wall structure having a plurality of recesses formed in an outer surface thereof.
Other aspects may be attained in a food drying device including an outer housing, a perforated main container in the housing and a drive apparatus on the housing for rotating the main container relative to the housing, the improvement comprising: a perforated auxiliary container disposable in the main container and having a closeable access port; and first and second engagement structures respectively on the main container and the auxiliary container for engagement with each other to effect rotation of the auxiliary container with the main container.